The Generator
by Snellby
Summary: AU. Four years after the Event, they found the cure. Huddled in a pile of debris, glowing lines of circuitry illuminating his dark skin, the cure was found in the form of a thirteen year old sentient class EVO, who was soon given the designation: Rex. Now, Rex works for Providence, but after a botched mission, he runs, taking his new human friend, Noah, along for the ride.
1. Rex

**AN: This is a Gen Rex AU I've been writing for a while. I'll probably update it once a week until I run out of chapters, and then updates will be more sporadic. :) There are 6 chapters done so far. Thanks for reading and please review! I read and cherish every one of them!**

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******Chapter 1: Rex  
**

Four years after the Event, they found the cure.

Huddled in a pile of debris, glowing lines of circuitry illuminating his dark skin, the cure was found in the form of a thirteen year old sentient class EVO, who was soon given the designation: Rex.

Agent Six, only a mercenary at the time, was the one who pulled him from the broken remains of the building he had, only moments before, single-handedly destroyed. The boy, frightened and confused, had shown no signs of being a threat, and followed Six back to Providence HQ, where he had demonstrated that he could build weapons using the nanites in his body. The scientist put in charge of his case, one Dr. Rebecca Holiday, spoke in hushed tones about the possibility of him being able to communicate with his nanites. Six dismissed her theories as hopeful ramblings...until the day an EVO got loose in the compound, and Rex, backed into a corner by the beast, had effectively beaten it away, knocking it unconscious with his giant metal fists...before resting his hands on its flank, and reverting it to the mongrel dog it had once been. The move was swift, born of instinct, and when the dog had awoken seconds later, it licked the boy's face, and allowed him to scratch it between the ears.

And that was when Six had known...

Rex was their only hope.

* * *

**Two Years Later...**

Every day after school, Noah Nixon would make his way to the local park, basketball in tow, and shoot some hoops. Sometimes he'd bring friends, but mostly it was just him, the ball, and that unreachable hoop hanging over his head.

Throwing his jacket on the sidelines, the boy started dribbling the ball, passing it between his hands, eyes focussed on the hoop above. Bracing his body, Noah tensed, drawing the ball to his chest, ready to uncoil like a spring–

That was when he noticed someone watching him from the sidelines, a boy in a strange red jacket and black jeans, his dark hair held back by a pair of orange-lensed goggles. Noah shifted out of his stance, returning the boy's unnerving stare.

"Hey." Noah said. "Did you want to use the court?"

The boy didn't reply right away, simply continued to watch him, but then, he took a few steps forward, almost cautiously, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket.

"I don't really know how to play." He said with a shrug. "Looked interesting though. You throw the ball into that thing up there?"

Noah frowned as the stranger pointed to the hoop with a gloved hand.

"Do you really not know what basketball is?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Another shrug.

"Guess I was kind of sheltered. D'you mind teaching me?"

"Sure..." Noah replied, hesitantly. "And you are..."

"Rex."

"Noah."

Noah proceeded to teach the boy how to dribble and pass, noting how quickly he seemed to pick up all the moves. Rex was obviously _some kind _ of athlete, judging by the physical control he had over his body. And he was quick on his feet, continuously snatching the ball from under Noah's nose, and stealing away to the other side of the court before the other boy could even react.

However, whenever he tried to make a basket, the ball either fell short, or it hit the backboard too hard, careening out of control. Rex growled with frustration as he missed yet another throw, gloved hands held in fists at his sides.

"Don't sweat it." Noah said, flashing the boy a smile. "It takes practice."

"It shouldn't be this hard."

"Let's take a break." The other boy suggested. "We can get a soda."

Noah picked up his things, and the two of them crossed the street, coming to a stop at a vending machine. However, when the boy went to reach for his wallet, it wasn't there. Frowning, he began to rummage around in the pockets of his jacket, then his backpack, grumbling to himself the entire time.

"Augh, I think I forgot my money."

And then, there was Rex, holding out a can of cola, while gulping down his own.

"Here." He said.

"Thanks. You didn't have to do that."

Rex shrugged off-handedly.

"We're friends now, right? That's what friends do."

Friends? Noah had just met the guy, and already they were 'friends'? It seemed a bit soon to be so familiar with each other, but maybe Rex didn't know any better? He had said that he'd been a bit sheltered-to the extreme, it seemed-so maybe that could explain his strange behavior. He seemed harmless enough, so Noah popped open the top of his soda, and took a long swig.

They stood in silence a few moments, drinking their sodas and staring at the cars going by. When Rex was done with his can, he crushed it in his hands, and tried to throw it into a nearby trash bin...only to have the can bounce off the rim. Noah snickered as the boy stomped off to pick it up.

"It looks like you're not any better off the court."

Rex turned back to him, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Just you wait. I'm going to get better."

Suddenly, a shrill beeping erupted from Noah's pocket, and the boy groaned, pulling out his cellphone.

"I gotta take this." He said. It was his mom.

After a few minuets of idle chatter, Noah hung up, and turned to his newfound...friend-quaintence.

"My mom says I gotta go home, so, see ya tomorrow?"

Rex frowned, his eyes falling to the pavement as he thrust his hands into his pockets.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. I'll see ya around."

Halfway home, a Providence envoy roared past, and Noah felt fear bloom in the pit of his stomach. There was an EVO somewhere nearby. Those massive white vans only appeared when another poor soul had mutated into a mindless beast. It could be anyone...a classmate, a teacher...even someone's pet. The boy took solace in the fact that it wasn't his mother. She was safe at home, and those vans had been headed in the other direction.

Still, Noah ran the rest of the way.


	2. Renegade

**AN: I know I named these chapters when I posted them on tumblr originally. :l But, I can't remember what they were, and I can't find them so...new chapter names.  
**

**Reviews are gr8 with a capitol 8. **

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**Chapter 2: Renegade.  
**

"You need to keep a better eye on our weapon."

Agent Six continued to stare stone-faced at the screen before him, glaring at the man who had once been his partner...but was now his boss. White Knight, the only pure human in the entire world, a poster boy for what providence fought for: a world without nanites, a world without fear. Somehow, Six had gotten mixed up in it all, his new position in the organization leaving him more exposed and vulnerable that he liked, but he did his best with what he had. He took his job very seriously, knowing that he held the only key to his master's salvation. Someday...when the war was over, and Rex was stronger...

"He keeps finding holes in the security." The former mercenary replied.

_Your security. _

"That's why we have you around." White Knight continued, glaring at Six from the safety of his sterile prison. "You're supposed to watch him at all times. We can't have a repeat of the Hong Kong incident."

"I'll take care of it." Six replied, trying to hide the anger in his voice.

"You'd better, Agent. That EVO is our only hope for this war, and I will do anything to ensure that we don't lose him."

Six didn't doubt it. As if locking Rex in a small cell and experimenting on him wasn't enough. Maybe spending time with Rex had softened his heart, but the agent couldn't help but feel pity for the young EVO. He was sentient, one of the few who still retained their human thoughts and emotions, and he was smart, able to crack security codes, and complete complex equations in seconds.

But, he was still a kid. A kid who wanted his freedom.

"If Rex saw Providence as home, he might stop running away." Dr. Holiday whispered when the two of them were hidden away in their corner of the lab. "To him, home is still out there. He's going to keep looking until he finds it."

"Not if White Knight lobotomizes him first."

He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. Holiday wasn't weak, by any means, but she was sensitive, and she cared about Rex more than anyone else. He was a son to her, not just the EVO Providence paraded around for show. She hadn't had the upbringing that Six had...She understood how to love, and care for others.

"I'd take Rex and run before I let that happen." The woman replied, her voice cold.

"Good."

After that, their conversation fell flat.

Later, as Six watched Holiday give Rex his daily check-up, he could clearly see the motherly love she had for him. Rebecca never treated him like a weapon...never with the sterile clinical methodology of the other doctors, and because of that, Rex's false bravado fell away whenever she was near. He confided in her, sharing his thoughts and feelings...even some of his fears.

Around Six he became petulant and childish, struggling against him like a dog on a leash. Their training sessions were always painful to bear, Rex refusing to cooperate and learn what White Knight wanted him to. He didn't want to be a weapon...he didn't want to fight. He only wanted to be normal. Wanted to find his family.

* * *

Rex spent most of his time in a small room at the heart of the compound, locked in like a criminal. He had a bed, and a small closet. There was a rug on the floor. The boy would lay on his back for hours and throw a ball at the ceiling, losing himself in the maddening repetition.

Providence had given him a small wardrobe of plain t-shirts and jeans, but the boy still preferred to wear the clothes he had been found in...the strange red jacket and printed shirt. Six didn't push him on the issue, but simply prompted him to wash them regularly.

When Six entered, Rex ceased throwing the ball, his eyes remaining fixed on the ceiling. Clothes were strewn everywhere, hangers snapped, dents and gashes visible in the metal paneling of the walls. It wasn't often that Rex got angry enough to attempt such damage.

"While you were out, what did you do?" Six asked, moving to pick up some of the shirts strewn about.

"Wandered around for a while." The boy replied, almost wistfully. "Rode through the desert. Some guy taught me to play basketball."

Six froze.

"Some guy?"

"Yeah." Rex said, rolling over onto his side. "He saw me watching him, and taught me how to play. Then we had some sodas."

This was bad. White Knight would be furious if he knew that Rex had had contact with someone...it could spell trouble for whoever that poor guy was.

"Did you show him your powers?"

"He didn't have his wallet, so I helped him get a soda out of the machine. You don't have to lecture me, Six. Holiday already told me not to do it again. Stealing's wrong, I got it."

"This isn't about stealing, Rex." Six snapped.

"Well excuse me." The boy said, throwing the ball to the floor. "I just wanted to get out, see some people my own age.

"It's dangerous."

"For who?" Rex demanded, narrowing his dark eyes. "For me, or for everyone else?"

Six didn't know how to answer that. Rex didn't know what he was capable of...he didn't know that, somewhere inside him, there was a monster...a monster that made him just like all of the other mindless EVOs he fought and cured. Inside, he was no different than them.

But, Six couldn't tell him that.

"You need to stop running away." The agent snapped. "White Knight is getting angry. You don't understand what he's capable of."

"I don't care." Rex spat, turning away.

Behind his glasses, Six fumed.

"You should."

* * *

Rex wasn't at the basketball court the next day...

Or the day after that.

A week went by, and Noah gave up waiting for the strange boy. He threw endless volleys of free throws, got some of his friends together for impromptu games, and sometimes merely sat silently on the the sidelines, working on homework in the fresh air. Life went on.

And soon, a month had passed. Then two. Noah all but forgot about Rex, and things went on as they always had.

* * *

It was a warm evening in late spring as Noah Nixon made his way home, basketball tucked beneath his arm, jacket slung over his shoulder. There were still a few people out and about downtown, enjoying the pleasant air, sitting outside of restaurants, casually strolling past shop windows.

And then, suddenly, screams tore through the air, and Noah looked up, frozen in place as his eyes locked onto a giant humanoid beast, the size of a house, looming in the distance. Its lean body was covered in in black scales, and razor sharp teeth protruded from a too small mouth. Long black claws gripped the pavement, decorated in tufts of dark hair as it hobbled forward, shreds of fabric and denim clinging to its skin.

It was an EVO.

Noah panicked dropping his basketball and jacket and he joined the dozens of others also running for their lives.

That was when Noah realized that the EVO was _fast. _With a gruesome snarl, it tore across the pavement, gangly arms bearing into the crowd, knocking them aside like rag dolls. It grabbed onto a man's suit jacket with its teeth, whipping him around and around and around until it finally let the body hit the pavement with a sick thud. And then it was moving again, bony tail lashing wildly.

Noah could hear the thing's ragged breathing, almost smell the metallic tang of active nanites as it bore down on him and the others trying to escape. It was gaining, quickly, and he just couldn't run any faster. Already his lungs were straining, his stomach cramping painfully. The beast would soon catch up...it was going to get him-

And then...he tripped.

Down, he fell, painfully onto the concrete sidewalk. The boy had to roll madly to get out of the way of the pounding feet of desperate men, all the while trying to gather himself and get back up. He screamed for help, fingers scrabbling at the rough stone below, but no one stopped...no one seemed to care.

The beast was suddenly there, sniffing harshly at the vulnerable skin of his neck, and the boy flinched as it licked at his flesh with a rough tongue. This was it...he was going to die.

Just like so many others...he was going to die.

"Hey, buddy! Why don't you try to pick on someone who can actually fight back?!"

Metal groaned, and suddenly the beast was gone. Noah scrambled to his feet, swaying uncertainly as he found the EVO...lying in a pile of debris as someone pummeled it into the ground with giant metal fists.

There was another one.

Noah wanted to run, but he found that he was frozen in place, watching the battle continue, monster against monster. Looking closer, Noah found that his savior was a young man dressed in a providence uniform, "EVO" printed between his shoulder blades. His eyes were obscured by large orange goggles...

Those goggles seemed familiar.

"You need to get out of here!" A providence agent shouted, snapping Noah back to his senses. "The Generator isn't very careful when he fights. It's dangerous!"

As if to prove his point, a large chunk of concrete fell into the ground right before him, making deep fissures in the pavement Noah flinched, quickly gathering his wits, turning tail, and fleeing the site.

* * *

With a grunt, Rex ran his sword through the EVO's shoulder, feeling a spray of black blood on his face as he drove the weapon deeper and deeper. The creature howled, but Rex refused to back down, forcing the monster to the pavement with one sharp movement. The EVO gave a pitiful wail, before going limp, its six eyes fluttering shut. Rex smirked. Now, it was his time to shine.

Withdrawing his sword from the beast's body, the young EVO shifted his hand back into its normal flesh and bone, his fingers reaching out to twine in the monster's matted tufts of fur. He paused a moment, searching inside for the link that allowed him to cure people.

He found it, sending the power through his hands, seeking out the corrupted nanites, attempting to draw them into his body. At first, the beast's nanites seemed to cooperate, gathering at the tips of Rex's fingers, but then, the familiar screeching of nanites in pain tore into his ears, and the teen recoiled, breaking the link. With a soft growl, Rex tried again, his nails digging into the EVO's flesh as he forced the connection once more.

"Rex?"

The boy could hear his handler, Six, approaching, but ignored him, attempting to administer the cure one more time.

It still didn't work. It never seemed to work these days. It used to be that he'd always cure his patients but now...he was tired of having to watch families torn apart because he wasn't good enough. Wasn't strong enough. They depended on him, and he failed them, time and time again. He was sick of it.

Rex shifted his arm back into a sword, cutting off the beast's head in one fell swoop.

"Rex!" He heard Six shout. "Stop right now!"

The young EVO reeled on his handler, eyes narrowed in fury.

"Why should I try to save anyone?!" The teen screamed, wiping the blood from his goggles with his remaining human hand. "Half the time, I can't cure them! What's the point of me _if I don't even work?!"_

He was aware of the providence agents moving around him, guns at the ready. Let them try to shoot him. Let them try.

"We'll get Holiday to figure out why this is happening-"

"No more tests! I'm not some lab rat!

"_Rex."_ Six hissed, lowering his voice. "If you don't calm down, that's exactly what you'll be. White Knight will never let you out again."

"He barely lets me out now." Rex snarled, lowering his arm, shifting back to normal. "This isn't the life I wanted, Six. I'm not a weapon."

Maybe he could make weapons out of his body, but that was no different than a man wielding a gun, or a sword. There was more to him than what the nanites had done There was the hole in his mind that Six had promised to help him fill...fill with memories, and hope, and his family. The family that he couldn't remember, no matter how hard he tried. Six had promised him.

Six had lied.

Rex ripped his goggles from his head, throwing them to the pavement, staring into his handler's eyes defiantly. Six's face was blank. The agent didn't move...didn't flinch. Reaching inside himself, the EVO called on his nanites, letting the rush of metal consume his legs and torso, twisting his human body, until he was sitting atop a hover bike of his own making, and breaking through the circle of surprised providence agents. He looked back, for one moment, watching Six as he stood in a plume of dust, unmoving, impassive.

There was no time for regret. No time to think about Six, or Holiday, or Bobo. Somewhere, there was someone looking for him.

Now was the time to find them.


	3. Aftermath

**AN: UPDATE ALERT. THERE IS AN UPDATE HERE.  
**

**Reviews are always appreciated~ I read and cherish them all.  
**

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**Chapter 3: Aftermath.  
**

When Noah reached home, he fumbled with his house keys, hands shaking as he tried to get inside. His heart was still pumping madly, adrenaline pushing him to near panic. He'd almost died...that EVO...it could have killed him.

He thought of his mother, away on a business trip, oblivious to her son's plight. He couldn't leave her alone. He wanted to hole up in his house and never come out, never to see another monster again...but he knew he couldn't. His dad wouldn't have wanted him to.

Finally, the boy managed to get the door open, and he rushed inside, hand blindly flipping on all the lights in the house. He threw his backpack to the floor, stumbling into the living room, before collapsing on the couch.

He was home.

He'd never been that close to an EVO attack. Sure, he'd seen them on television before, and a couple from a distance, but never that close. He'd never been near enough to an EVO to smell the tang of nanites in the air, or to get caught up in the panic of fleeing men. It was terrible...almost unbearable.

Noah leaned over, reaching for the phone resting beside the couch. He numbly dialed his mother's number, hands still quaking, heart still beating too fast. He needed to hear her voice. He didn't want to be alone right now.

"_Noah?"_ Her voice called over the line.

"Hey, Mom."

"_Are you okay?"_

Not really, he wanted to say. I feel dirty and grimy, and I want to throw up. But, he didn't. That would only make her worry.

"There was an EVO attack...I'm fine, but...kind of shook up."

"_An EVO? Oh God, Noah. Are you sure you're alright? I can come home-" _

"No." The boy replied. "You have to do this trip. I'm fine."

Just a little shook up.

There was no way to prevent an EVO attack. They could happen at any moment, to any one. Plants, animals, humans; all were capable of becoming a monster. Noah tried not to think about it most of the time, but right now, his mind was whirling.

"Is there any way I could come out and see you?"

"You let him run off?!"

White Knight was furious, but Six had taken the brunt of many a superior's anger before. He was used to it.

"His actions were unpredictable." The man replied.

"Is it true that he eliminated the target when he failed to cure it?"

Six nodded.

"That is a level of violence we cannot allow." White Knight growled. "His orders are to help us contain the EVO should his abilities fail. He's gone too far, Agent Six."

Six kept his mouth shut. White was acting like Providence had never killed an EVO in cold blood before...however, the agent knew that arguing would only make things worse for Rex in the long run. Maybe he should have stopped the boy...maybe he should have tried...but Rex's behavior was becoming erratic, violent. At Providence, he was trapped, treated more like an animal by most of the staff than as a human being.. No one deserved to live that way. He wasn't a prisoner...his only infraction was something buried deep within his mind.

So, Six had let him go.

"You don't seem to realize how dangerous he is." White continued. "It's like letting an armed maniac loose on the streets. If we don't find him soon, who knows what kind of chaos he could cause."

"I understand, Sir." Six replied with a nod of his head. "I'll get a team working on bringing him back. He'll be returned by the afternoon."

"He better be. Your job's on the line, Agent Six. Make sure you don't disappoint me."

"I won't." The agent growled, his voice tinged with ice.

He could remember a time when they had been equals; White a hardened government soldier, Six a mercenary hired for some extra muscle. The Event had changed both of their lives, mixed things up, forced them to become partners, and for a while, they had been as thick as thieves.

But, things never stayed the same, not in this world full of nanites and monsters.

Six almost stormed out of the briefing room, fuming silently behind his glasses. All his life he had followed orders; been the very poster child for a good mercenary; but then, Rex came along, and he found himself bending the rules again and again, always with disastrous results. It was his fault that White was stuck in that room forever, hiding away instead of being out on the field again. Because Six had made a poor decision.

But...not one that he had ever regretted.

The agent found Holiday in her lab, waiting for Rex, no doubt. It would be near time for his daily checkup...but there wouldn't be a check-up today. Not with Rex on the loose. Six reached into his pocket, pulling out the EVO's treasured goggles. Someone had to tell Holiday what had happened...and it looked like that someone would have to be him.

The doctor spotted him as he approached, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"How'd the last mission go? Is Rex alright?"

Six hesitated a moment, his fingers tightening around the goggles in his fist.

"Rex took off." He said. "He couldn't cure the target, so he eliminated it, and ran."

Holiday's face fell, her eyes wandering to the empty examination where the teen should have been. Six could tell that she was taking the news badly, so he held out Rex's goggles, motioning for her to take them, not wanting to see her cry over something so trivial. Rex was fine. There was no indication that he was in any danger, and it had been proven time and time again that the boy could handle himself.

After a few moments, the doctor took the offering, running her fingers over the deep scratches and scrapes pressed into their surfaces from years of fighting EVOs.

"I told you this would happen." She said, her voice growing cold, sorrow turning to anger. "You told him that you would help him...but you never did."

"Where was I supposed to start?" Six asked, his eyes narrowing. "We don't even know where he came from, or even if Rex is his real name. Thousands of people died in the Event...how do we even now his parents are still alive?"

"You could have at least tried!" Holiday cried. "That's all he wanted. You couldn't even do that?"

"No." Six murmured. "I was ordered not to."

Holiday glared at him, holding Rex's goggles tighter in her hands.

"You don't always have to listen to him." She said. "You can make your own decisions."

"I know that I am capable of thinking for myself _Holiday_." The agent spat. "I make my own decisions all the time. Remember when I decided to save Rex, and almost got White Knight killed? Or the time I decided to let him go solo in Hong Kong, and he hooked up with that gang? Or just today, when I decided to let the kid go? I might lose my job now. I might lose everything because of that EVO."

The two stood in silence, Holiday's hands clutching at Rex's goggles, fingers moving in nervous patterns.

"Six–" She began, fumbling over her words, unsure of what to say The agent sighed, taking a few steps forward, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. She really was beautiful. More beautiful than she could ever know. He couldn't stay mad at her...

Not when she was right.

"I'm just a mercenary, Rebecca," Six continued, softening his voice. "No one likes a man for hire that they can't trust. If I lose this job, I will never get another."

"White wouldn't fire you."

"Why wouldn't he? We're not friends anymore."

They'd never be friends again.

Racing through the desert, dust trailing behind him, Rex fled Providence, not daring to stop, knowing that if he did, it wouldn't be long before they caught up with him and dragged him back. He wasn't sure where he was going, blindly tearing through the wasteland, but he had to keep going.

He couldn't stop. Couldn't stop.

But, he was tired, his hoverbike rattling as he struggled to keep it together. The further he went, the harder it became, until he found himself swerving and weaving around, using all of his remaining energy just to keep going.

And then, he couldn't do it anymore.

His build fell apart, throwing him to the blazing sand, chunks of broken metal following. Rex coughed, gloved hands scrabbling for purchase as he attempted to stand, only to collapse again, his body tired and worn out. He rolled onto his back, staring into the hot sun, baking in his Providence uniform.

What now? If he continued to lay here, Six would find him. He couldn't go back. Not now.

Painstakingly, Rex managed to stand, dragging one foot after the other, overheated in his uniform. It wasn't long before he unzipped the back and pulled the suit down to his waist, tying the arms to keep it up. Even in his undershirt, the sun was hot, burning his exposed skin as he shambled on. There were no signs of civilization in sight...no hope that someone would happen upon him...unless that someone was Six, or Captain Callan. No water, no food. His rash attempt at freedom suddenly seemed pointless.

He was going to die out here.

Then, he saw it...a road, winding through the desert. Suddenly finding new energy, Rex, raced towards it, his boots finding purchase on the boiling blacktop. If he followed it, he'd eventually come across someone or someplace.

If he only kept moving...

Just had to...

Keep...

Moving...

Rex fell to his knees, collapsing in a heap on the burning road.


	4. The Boy in the Desert

**AN: UPDATE ALERT. THERE IS AN UPDATE HERE. SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS UPDATE TOOK.  
**

**Reviews are always appreciated~ I read and cherish them all.  
**

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**Chapter 4: The Boy in the Desert. **

There was nothing like driving alone through the desert; like being surrounded on all sides by endless stretches of sand and rock, like feeling the unrelenting sun beat down on you through the windshield. Noah kept his hands firmly planted on the steering wheel of his ancient SUV, making his way down the miserable blacktop road, not wanting to be alone in the aftermath of an EVO attack. He couldn't get his mind to stop running through the day's events, of the screaming crowd, and the EVO's tight grip and rancid breath. Things so easily could have ended for him, right there and then. If Providence hadn't shown up…

It would have been over.

Day turned to night, and Noah continued on, turning his headlights on the empty road, dodging the animals that scurried across his path. Hours had passed, and still, there was no sign of civilization anywhere. No road signs, no indication of human occupation. Noah turned to the GPS mounted to his dashboard, wondering if it was even taking him the right way. He was running low on gas, and if he didn't find a station soon–

He spotted it in the corner of his eye, something lying in the road. Something big.

Panicking, Noah slammed on the breaks, the sound of screeching rubber tearing into his ears. The car swerved, giving a violent groan of protest as it slid over the blacktop. Noah braced himself, hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel, his eyes screwed shut.

When the car finally lurched to a stop, the boy could only sit in shock, eyes locked straight ahead, heart pounding uncontrollably. After a few moments of silent panic, Noah forced himself to look at the thing in the road, and gave a yelp of fear when he saw what it was.

A body, resting in a heap on the blacktop.

He'd almost hit someone. With his car.

As if this day couldn't possibly get any worse.

Then, with a great whine, his car sputtered, the engine dying and the lights fading to black, leaving the boy alone in the darkness.

Great.

Gritting his teeth, Noah tried to get the engine to restart, twisting the key again and again to no avail. Muttering angrily to himself, he popped open the glove compartment, fishing out the emergency flashlight, clicking it on and illuminating the dark cabin.

What was he supposed to do now? He was sitting alone in the middle of the desert with a dead car, and a body in the road.

A body in the road? He had to make sure the person was okay. Noah clumsily forced the door open with shaking hands, running over to the body's side, shining the flashlight on their prone form. The stranger was a boy, his dark skin reddened by the daytime sun. There was sand everywhere, caked to his face, and his hair, and his clothes. His lips were severely chapped. There was no telling when he'd last had a drink of water.

Noah carefully took the boy's wrist, checking his pulse. It was faint. Much too weak to be a good sign, but he was alive. Holding a hand over the boy's mouth, Noah confirmed that he was breathing. He might be okay.

"Hey." Noah called, gently nudging the unconscious boy. "Wake up."

Nothing.

The last thing he wanted to do was move him. What if he'd been hit by another car, or broken his ankle while walking along the road? Noah took a deep breath at the thought, running the flashlight over the stranger's body, checking for any obvious injuries or blood. There was nothing that he could see…but, looking closer, Noah noticed that the boy was wearing an odd white jumpsuit, the top half tied around his waist…and the normally pristine gleam of a Providence uniform marred by dirt and grime.

Providence? Could this boy work for–

Suddenly, the stranger lurched forward, his hands grabbing the collar of Noah's shirt, pulling him off balance. Noah gagged, lashing blindly out with the flashlight, striking his attacker in the shoulder, and with a yelp, the boy relinquished his hold, falling backward to the pavement. Panting hard, Noah skittered backward, trying to put as much distance as he could between the stranger and himself, keeping the flashlight trained on him at all time.

It wasn't long before the boy managed to gather himself together, a shower of sand falling onto the blacktop and he shook it free from his hair and his skin.

"Augh." He groaned, holding a hand to his shoulder, wincing in pain. "Why'd you have do that?"

"Y-you kind of tried to choke me." Noah cried, trying to keep a brave face, despite the fact that he was scared shitless.

"Sorry, I guess." The stranger continued. "Can't really help my mad reflexes. Wait…"

Noah felt a shiver run up his spine as the boy stared at him, tilting his head in confusion, like a puppy, before a huge grin spread across his face.

"I know you!" He cried. "Noah! Remember me? It's Rex?"

"Rex?"

He suddenly flashed back to the day, months ago, when he'd met a weird kid named Rex who couldn't sink a basket to save his life.

Now that he had a chance to really look, he recognized him instantly. Jeez. His mom was right. He really was terrible at remembering faces.

"Rex." He said again, dumbfounded. Really. What were the odds?

"Si." The boy said, picking himself up, and dusting the sand from his body. "Small world, isn't it?"

"How the hell you'd get out here?" Noah demanded, scrabbling to his feet, brandishing the flashlight like a weapon.

Rex shrugged.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I was going to see my mom." Noah huffed. "But, then you were in the road, and I killed my car trying not to hit you. You're welcome, by the way."

"I can probably fix it." The other boy said, cracking his knuckles. "But, I have to know if I can trust you first."

"You have to know if you can trust me?" Noah asked, cocking an eyebrow. "You're the one who was lying in the middle of the road in a Providence jumpsuit. Care to explain what's up with that?"

Rex stared at him a moment, before letting out a big sigh, untying the sleeves of his jumpsuit, and slipping it back on. He pulled the zipper up to his throat and brushed off the remaining sand before taking a few steps towards the car, the beam of Noah's flashlight following him as he went.

"We're friends, right?" He said. "That means…we're supposed to be able to trust each other, doesn't it?"

"Rex I…"

It was then that he saw it. Three letters printed between the boy's shoulders; one incriminating word that answered some of his questions…

And raised even more.

EVO.

"You're an EVO?!" Noah demanded, taking a few staggering steps back. "What the hell?"

Rex didn't say a word. He merely reached out a hand, setting it on the hood of the car, turning suddenly sad, pleading eyes to the other boy.

"Don't freak out." He said.

Before Noah could react, Rex's hand lit up, blue light coalescing beneath his palm, a shrill screeching rising into the air. The light began to move, running along the car's hood in intricate patterned lines, covering it completely.

"Hey! Stop!"

Noah took a few hurried steps forward, before the roar of his car engine stopped him in his tracks. Rex drew his hand back, smirking as the light faded, and all was quiet once again, save for the gentle lull of the engine.

"I fixed it." The EVO said. "I said I could."

It was all too much for Noah to handle, and he began to sway, his knees giving out beneath him.

"Nononono." Rex said, rushing forward, catching the boy in his arms. "Don't pass out on me. We gotta keep moving."

"Keep moving?" Noah mumbled, blinking his eyes to drive away the black encroaching on his vision. "Why do we have to keep moving?"

"I'll explain in the car." The other boy replied, leading Noah towards the driver's side door. "Are you sure you're okay to pilot this thing?"

"Y-yeah I can drive."

"Good. Then drive."


End file.
